The Cold, Hard Truth
by sabrinaw
Summary: Charater death! Ever since Kikyo joined the shard hunting group, Kagome's been feeling left out. When she's out walking, she comes across a beaten, heartless Kagura. No longer able to take the pain, she asks Kagura to do something for her.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimers: I don't own Inu-baka and his crew. Sorry, but Inuyasha isn't really that high on my favorite list of characters. But I have to admit he does have cute ears!

THE COLD, HARD TRUTH

Kagome let out another muffled sob as she watched Inuyasha cuddle Kikyo like there was no tomorrow. Ever since she'd asked to join the group, they'd all ignored her. Sango and she had come to an understanding and had called a truce, Miroku was okay with it if Sango was and Shippo had started to follow Kikyo around, calling her mommy. Kirara didn't like Kikyo very much, but she just stayed around Sango, often looking at kagome with guilt in her eyes.

Why did she even come back anymore? It wasn't like anyone cared. Hell, even the family in her own era didn't care! her mom had married to some guy named Step, and was now pregnant. She was so happy with her new family she had no time for her and Sota anymore. And once Sota had found out that their dad was still alive, he had moved in with him.

She felt like air these days. Never seen or noticed, but always around. She no longer smiled like she used to. Instead she kept her head bowed, as if constantly reminded that she wasn't wanted anymore. Her eyes that once held happiness and were so full of life were now empty and were filled with such sadness, that anyone who would look into them felt like crying themselves.

Such a pure creature she was, she did not deserve to feel such pain, and yet she did. Every day. Every time Shippo called kikyo mommy, every time inuyasha gazed lovingly at Kikyo, every time she heard Sango giggling along with Kikyo with some joke they had made. Every time, it killed her, little by little, every day, until she felt nothing anymore.

She sighed as she got up and walked out of Kaede's hut and into the woods, grabbing her bow and arrows. Why did she take them? she wondered. Why did she try staying alive these days? She didn't know anymore. Maybe she just took pleasure in keeping Kikyo away from her soul. Was that really true? Gods, she really was a horrible person, wasn't she?

So caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice Kagura's body laid out before her until she tripped over it. sitting up, she looked over at Kagura and saw that she was covered in bruises and cuts. The biggest one was right in her chest. She expected to see her heart but was shocked to see that she had none. _Then how does she stay alive? _

Kagome shook her head, coming out of her thoughts. Kagura was still breathing, meaning heart or not, she could live. Looking at her face closely, she almost smiled. When the wind sorceress slept, she looked peaceful and relaxed. _How could someone who looks so peaceful be so evil?_ A smile broke loose as the answer hit her. _they can't. Atleast, not by will. So some one is controlling her? bet anything it's Naraku. Bastard. I bet she could be a nice person….if only she had a heart…. _

She bit her lip, looking towards the skies. It was already late after noon, had she really been wandering for so long? Then again, what did it matter? Looking back again at kagura, she thought about the task at hand. She was a miko, wasn't she? Not a very powerful one, but still. If she could heal wounds, then why not this one? It was worth a shot.

Closing her eyes softly, she thought about what she wanted to do. She pictured Kagura, good as new, except this time, she had her heart. Why did she want to help her so bad? It seemed pointless to help an enemy. But it felt good, knowing that she could finally do something that was worth her existence.

Kagura began to glow a faint light blue, and her wounds began to closing. One by one. Kagome could feel herself draining, but she fought to stay awake, thinking about what she was trying to do, than how she was going to do it.

The wound around her chest glowed a faint red instead and her heart appeared before the wound closed up, covering it from view. Kagura's eyes shot open as she sat up. She put her hand to her chest and felt a faint 'thump', causing her to gasp. _My heart! Bu-but how? _Hearing the miko collapse next to her gave her the answer.

"it…….worked……..I can't believe it…….I actually did something right……for once….." kagome said softly. Kagura blinked and stood up before helping her up as well. "why did you help me?"

She smiled softly. "because you needed it."

Many would have scoffed at the girl's stupidity. I mean, she was the enemy! She could kill her at any minute! But kagura understood perfectly. But as she looked into the girl's eyes to thank her, she shivered. There was nothing in her eyes. Nothing. Not like Sesshomoru's eyes, which were cold or like Kanna's which were unseeing, they were blank. Nothing shown in them. no emotion, coldness or anything. It was almost as if she wasn't even there!

She tried to sense the girl's aura and saw that it was black. The worst color anyone could have. Even Naraku's aura wasn't black. It was a deep, crimson red. the color of evil. Black was different. It was

The color of sorrow

The color of pain

The color or regret

The color of betrayal

The color of mourning

The color of death.

The girl was dying from emotional suffering. Slowly and painfully too. It was the worst type of death ever to exist. It killed you from the inside out, starting with your heart and mind. Every day you wasted away into nothing, until one day, you just couldn't get up and died from either lack of food or lack of water. A painful death indeed. Also a slow one. It could take up to years for it to take its effect. And it was very hard to cure. It often took something much more. Like love.

"thank you. you have no idea how much good you've done. You've freed me from Naraku's grasp, and soon Kanna shall be free. Without me to worry about, she'll be able to break away from him easily. We are now in your dept."

Kagome looked over at her thoughtfully before speaking up. "could you kill me?"

"nani?"

"could you kill me?"

Kagura shook her head, looking at the miko. This was not the same person. It couldn't be. The kagome she knew very little but faced in a lot of battles, was strong and filled with determination and a will to live. This kagome was broken and lifeless. _What caused you to break? What caused you to just give up? _

"no."

"but why not? I'm going to die anyway, Kagura. You can tell, I know you can." Kagome said softly.

Kagura sighed sadly. It was true. She was going to die. Either that or get herself killed by a roaming demon, that was looking for the shards she held. Unless someone would love her, but think about it. would you fall in love with someone who was sad and depressed all the time when you could just find someone with a bubbly personality instead?

Taking out her fan and opening it up, tears fell to the ground softly. "I wish you luck in the afterlife."

She sliced the fan through the air, wincing as the attack made contact with Kagome's body. The miko didn't wince though. She smiled.

"thank-you, kagura. Please, do me a favor. Don't go back to being evil. Be free, like the wind. You have a pure heart. Use it."

Kagura was now crying now, shocking kagome. "why do you cry for me?"

"you gave me back my heart. You……you're my friend."

Kagome laughed softly, coughing up blood before sighing. _Even in death I am not at peace. _

"Good-bye, my friend."

She died that day, right when the sun was setting, with a smile on her face, and Kagura's sobs echoing on the wind.

WITH KAGOME'S SPIRIT

Kagome's spirit looked down at Kagura and smiled softly before kissing her on the forehead. She tilted her head at the sunset before skipping off into the woods, humming softly. Her soul was to be reincarnated in about fifty years. Gazing pass the trees ahead of her, she wondered if she would remember her friends in the Feudal Era.

But she could always worry about that later. whatever happens, happens she guessed. The wind blew around her, but never touched her. she smiled faintly as she saw Kagura flying on her feather.

"free, Kagura. As free as the wind."

Slowly the world evaporated around her as she reappeared in a grassy meadow next to a water fall. It was a beautiful sight, making her laughing joyously. Picking up a flower and sniffing it she placed it in her hair. Her friends in the Feudal Era could wait. Right now, she had a date with the water fall.

So how was it? this was my first shot at an angst thing, but I thought it was okay…. if you like it, good, but if you don't then don't flame! I said it was my first shot at it, okay! later! oh and I made a quiz on quizilla. It has absoulutly nothing to do with inuyasha, but if you're ever bored, check it it to see which group you belong in. I belong in the punk/goth group! Yay me! anyway-

REVIEW DAMMIT!


	2. really important info about the story!

**Disclaimers:** do i really have to put this in? it's not really a chapter...

Hey, everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but my moms pissed off at my report card, so I'll be without the internet for a few weeks. (I'm using the school's library computers, please don't squeal on me!) anyway, please review! I'm thinking about putting in another chapter, one where kagome comes back from the dead, but I don't know if I should. If I do, it'll beKagura/Kagome. I dunno, what do ya think? Oh and Sango and the others will come to their senses, don't worry! Now-

**REVIEW DAMMIT!**


	3. Just to let you know

Disclaimers: do i REALLY have to put one in...I mean...it's not REALLY a chappy...is it?

OKAY! I keep getting reviews, from people telling me that i should continue this story. I'm flattered that you guys think that my work is good, but um...The New Beginning IS the sequel. I'm pretty sure that most of you know this, but for those who don't, please check it out. It's a kag/kag story, so if you don't like yuri pairings then don't read it. There wont be any lemons, because...I can't write them (I'm only fourteen, people, jeeze)

for you people out there...there's also gonna be a sequel to The New Beginning too. you dudes are more than welcomed to review this story. I just put this in, so you'd know that there IS a sequel out there. nice talkin to you dudes! JA!  



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